University of Chicago Press: New Titles from 'Bodleian Library, University of Oxford'http://www.press.uchicago.edu/ucp/rss/books/pu3430675_3430687RSS.xml
The latest new books from 'Bodleian Library, University of Oxford'en-usTue, 31 Mar 2015 05:00:00 GMT1440Dr Radcliffe's Libraryhttp://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/distributed/D/bo20131006.html
The Radcliffe Camera is one of the most celebrated buildings in Britain. Named for the physician John Radcliffe—who directed a large part of his fortune to its realization at the heart of the University of Oxford in the early eighteenth century—the circular library is instantly recognizable, its great dome rising amidst the gothic spires of the university. &#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; Drawing on maps, plans, photographs, and drawings, Dr Radcliffe’s Library tells the fascinating story of the building’s creation over more than thirty years. Early designs for the Radcliffe Camera were drawn by the brilliant architect Nicholas Hawksmoor, who conceived the shape so recognizable today: a great rotunda topped by the University of Oxford’s only dome. From there, it would take decades to acquire and clear the site between the University Church of St Mary’s and the Bodleian. After Hawksmoor’s death, the project was taken on by the Scottish architect James Gibbs who refined the design and supervised the library’s construction. &#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; Published to accompany an exhibition opening in November at the Bodleian Library, Dr Radcliffe’s Library tells the fascinating story of the making of this architectural masterpiece.<div>The Radcliffe Camera is one of the most celebrated buildings in Britain. Named for the physician John Radcliffe&mdash;who directed a large part of his fortune to its realization at the heart of the University of Oxford in the early eighteenth century&mdash;the circular library is instantly recognizable, its great dome rising amidst the gothic spires of the university.<br /> &#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;<br /> Drawing on maps, plans, photographs, and drawings, <i>Dr Radcliffe&rsquo;s Library</i> tells the fascinating story of the building&rsquo;s creation over more than thirty years. Early designs for the Radcliffe Camera were drawn by the brilliant architect Nicholas Hawksmoor, who conceived the shape so recognizable today: a great rotunda topped by the University of Oxford&rsquo;s only dome. From there, it would take decades to acquire and clear the site between the University Church of St Mary&rsquo;s and the Bodleian. After Hawksmoor&rsquo;s death, the project was taken on by the Scottish architect James Gibbs who refined the design and supervised the library&rsquo;s construction.<br /> &#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;<br /> Published to accompany an exhibition opening in November at the Bodleian Library, <i>Dr Radcliffe&rsquo;s Library</i> tells the fascinating story of the making of this architectural masterpiece.</div>Architecture: European ArchitectureHistory: European HistorySun, 15 Mar 2015 05:00:00 GMTStephen Hebron9781851244294Medieval Manuscripts from Würzburg in the Bodleian Libraryhttp://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/distributed/M/bo20129713.html
The Bodleian Library holds a significant collection of Latin medieval manuscripts from Germany—more specifically from Würzburg, Eberbach, and Mainz. The medieval manuscripts from Würzburg, most of which were acquired by William Laud, Archbishop of Canterbury, during the period of the Thirty Years’ War, constitute an invaluable collection. Most of these codices originally belonged to the cathedral chapter of Würzburg, the Domstift St. Kilian, and date back to the ninth century. Presenting detailed descriptions of more than fifty of manuscripts, Medieval Manuscripts from Würzburg in the Bodleian Library, Oxford provides an authoritative catalog, including many important early copies of the manuscripts of church fathers during the Carolingian period. Daniela Mairhofer examines each from both a textual and paleographic point of view, paying careful attention to the provenance of the manuscript, as well as to physical characteristics like decoration and binding. Entries are accompanied by copious color plates.<div>The Bodleian Library holds a significant collection of Latin medieval manuscripts from Germany—more specifically from Würzburg, Eberbach, and Mainz. The medieval manuscripts from Würzburg, most of which were acquired by William Laud, Archbishop of Canterbury, during the period of the Thirty Years’ War, constitute an invaluable collection. Most of these codices originally belonged to the cathedral chapter of Würzburg, the Domstift St. Kilian, and date back to the ninth century.<br> <br> Presenting detailed descriptions of more than fifty of manuscripts, <i>Medieval Manuscripts from Würzburg in the Bodleian Library, Oxford </i>provides an authoritative catalog, including many important early copies of the manuscripts of church fathers during the Carolingian period. Daniela Mairhofer examines each from both a textual and paleographic point of view, paying careful attention to the provenance of the manuscript, as well as to physical characteristics like decoration and binding. Entries are accompanied by copious color plates.</div>History: British and Irish HistorySun, 15 Mar 2015 05:00:00 GMTDaniela Mairhofer9781851244195Bay Psalm Bookhttp://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/distributed/B/bo19177323.html
The Bay Psalm Book was the first book to be printed in North America, twenty years after the arrival of the Pilgrims in Massachusetts. Today, only eleven copies are still in existence and fetch as much as fourteen million dollars at auction, making it also the most expensive book in the world. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Originally published in 1640 as The Whole Booke of Psalmes Faithfully Translated into English Metre, the unassuming psalter undertook the translation of Hebrew psalms into English verse for a growing population of New England Puritans unhappy with contemporary translations and in need of a version that would better represent their beliefs. The book became popularly known as The Bay Psalm Book, named after the Massachusetts Bay Colony in which its translators—among them the ministers John Cotton and Richard Mather—lived. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; This beautiful facsimile edition of The Bay Psalm Book reproduces one of the best remaining copies of the psalter, including the translators’ preface and the original printer’s errors and binding marks. An introduction by Diarmaid MacCulloch details the book’s place in American religious and cultural history and explains how the psalter came to have such a profound effect on the course of the Protestant faith in America.<div><i>The Bay Psalm Book</i> was the first book to be printed in North America, twenty years after the arrival of the Pilgrims in Massachusetts. Today, only eleven copies are still in existence and fetch as much as fourteen million dollars at auction, making it also the most expensive book in the world.<br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<br /> Originally published in 1640 as <i>The Whole Booke of Psalmes Faithfully Translated into English Metre,</i> the unassuming psalter undertook the translation of Hebrew psalms into English verse for a growing population of New England Puritans unhappy with contemporary translations and in need of a version that would better represent their beliefs. The book became popularly known as <i>The </i><i>Bay Psalm Book</i>, named after the Massachusetts Bay Colony in which its translators&mdash;among them the ministers John Cotton and Richard Mather&mdash;lived.<br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<br /> This beautiful facsimile edition of <i>The Bay Psalm Book</i> reproduces one of the best remaining copies of the psalter, including the translators&rsquo; preface and the original printer&rsquo;s errors and binding marks. An introduction by Diarmaid MacCulloch details the book&rsquo;s place in American religious and cultural history and explains how the psalter came to have such a profound effect on the course of the Protestant faith in America.</div>Religion: ChristianitySun, 15 Feb 2015 06:00:00 GMTDiarmaid MacCulloch9781851244140Book Lovers' Anthologyhttp://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/distributed/B/bo19261143.html
A blessed companion is a book—a book that, fitly chosen, is a lifelong friend.”—Douglas William Jerrold “Much reading is like much eating, wholly useless without digestion.”—Robert South “If I had read as much as other men, I should have been as ignorant as they.”—Thomas Hobbes Can books corrupt? Do badly written books sharpen or dull the minds of their readers? Ought we to take seriously the old saw that excessive reading can damage one’s sight?The Book Lovers' Anthology offers answers to these questions and many more with a remarkable collection of reflections on the book—by the writers whose books are among the world’s best known and best loved. Throughout the centuries, books have been a source of fascination—and sometimes frustration—for writers. Between the covers of the Anthology are excerpts from the novels of Jane Austen, George Eliot, and Jonathan Swift, among many others, all of whom paused in their fiction to extol the virtues of the written page. Those who are taken with the smell of books will find a like mind in Charles Dickens, who waxed poetic about the “pleasant smell of paper freshly pressed.” Very avid readers might even nod in knowing agreement with John Donne, who declared, “I shall die reading.” Other poets whose musings on libraries or books are excerpted for the Anthology include Shakespeare, Wordsworth, Milton, and Chaucer. These writings are interspersed by the meditations of essayists and diarists—among them, Samuel Johnson, James Boswell, John Ruskin, and Michel de Montaigne—of centuries past. With contributions from major writers across ages and genres, this is an essential anthology for which any bibliophile will want to find space on the shelf.<div><i>A blessed companion is a book—a book that, fitly chosen, is a lifelong friend.”—Douglas William Jerrold<br> “Much reading is like much eating, wholly useless without digestion.”—Robert South<br> “If I had read as much as other men, I should have been as ignorant as they.”—Thomas Hobbes</i><br> <br> Can books corrupt? Do badly written books sharpen or dull the minds of their readers? Ought we to take seriously the old saw that excessive reading can damage one’s sight?<br><i>The Book Lovers' Anthology</i> offers answers to these questions and many more with a remarkable collection of reflections on the book—by the writers whose books are among the world’s best known and best loved.<br><br> Throughout the centuries, books have been a source of fascination—and sometimes frustration—for writers. Between the covers of the <i>Anthology</i> are excerpts from the novels of Jane Austen, George Eliot, and Jonathan Swift, among many others, all of whom paused in their fiction to extol the virtues of the written page. Those who are taken with the smell of books will find a like mind in Charles Dickens, who waxed poetic about the “pleasant smell of paper freshly pressed.” Very avid readers might even nod in knowing agreement with John Donne, who declared, “I shall die reading.” Other poets whose musings on libraries or books are excerpted for the <i>Anthology </i>include Shakespeare, Wordsworth, Milton, and Chaucer. These writings are interspersed by the meditations of essayists and diarists—among them, Samuel Johnson, James Boswell, John Ruskin, and Michel de Montaigne—of centuries past.<br><br> With contributions from major writers across ages and genres, this is an essential anthology for which any bibliophile will want to find space on the shelf.</div>Literature and Literary Criticism: General Criticism and Critical TheoryThu, 15 Jan 2015 06:00:00 GMTBodleian Library, The9781851244188Illuminated Alphabethttp://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/distributed/I/bo19177031.html
The Bodleian Library is home to some of the finest examples of illuminated letters. Now, with An Illuminated Alphabet, readers young and old can enjoy a wide selection of these extraordinary letters in twenty-six pull-out postcards—one for each letter of the alphabet. Each postcard features one illuminated letter from a book or manuscript in the Bodleian Library’s collection. From large gold-leaf initials in medieval and Renaissance manuscripts to hand-painted examples from early printed books, An Illuminated Alphabet offers an intriguing new way to enjoy the many treasures in the collection of the Bodleian Library. Whether you’re an art lover, bibliophile, or one of the Library’s more than one million visitors each year, this most beautiful of alphabet books is sure to become a favorite.<div>The Bodleian Library is home to some of the finest examples of illuminated letters. Now, with <i>An Illuminated Alphabet,</i> readers young and old can enjoy a wide selection of these extraordinary letters in twenty-six pull-out postcards—one for each letter of the alphabet.<br><br> Each postcard features one illuminated letter from a book or manuscript in the Bodleian Library’s collection. From large gold-leaf initials in medieval and Renaissance manuscripts to hand-painted examples from early printed books, <i>An Illuminated Alphabet</i> offers an intriguing new way to enjoy the many treasures in the collection of the Bodleian Library.<br><br> Whether you’re an art lover, bibliophile, or one of the Library’s more than one million visitors each year, this most beautiful of alphabet books is sure to become a favorite.</div>Culture StudiesThu, 15 Jan 2015 06:00:00 GMTBodleian Library, The9781851244133Food Lovers' Anthologyhttp://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/distributed/F/bo19536936.html
“Show me another pleasure like dinner which comes every day and lasts an hour.”—Talleyrand “He was a bold man that first ate an oyster.”—Jonathan Swift “There is no love sincerer than the love of food,” wrote George Bernard Shaw in 1903. Poets, novelists, chefs, and gourmands before and after him would seem to agree. Collected in this anthology is a mouthwatering selection of excerpts on the subject of eating, drinking, cooking, and serving food that is guaranteed to whet every reader’s appetite. Themed sections group together poetry and prose on grapes and bottles, the ideal cuisine, hangover cures, and vivid vignettes about dinner party behavior. There are stories about food fit for kings, a duchess’s “rumblings abdominal,” fine dining, eating abroad, cooking at home, and gastronomic excesses. A section on food and travel features Edmund Hillary’s meal at the summit of Everest, Ernest Shackleton’s dish of penguin in the Antarctic, and Joshua Slocum on the unfortunate effects of cheese and plums while sailing solo around the world. Also on the menu are limericks, short-tempered cooks, recipes, fantasy food, special feasts, iron rations, tips on opening oysters, and the uses and abuses of coffee. Featuring writers as diverse as Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, Edward Lear, John Keats, Charles Dickens, Maria Edgeworth, and Marcel Proust, garnished with a generous helping of cartoons, this is a perfect gift for foodies, chefs, picnickers, and epicurean explorers.<div>“Show me another pleasure like dinner which comes every day and lasts an hour.”—Talleyrand<br> <br> “He was a bold man that first ate an oyster.”—Jonathan Swift<br> <br> “There is no love sincerer than the love of food,” wrote George Bernard Shaw in 1903. Poets, novelists, chefs, and gourmands before and after him would seem to agree. Collected in this anthology is a mouthwatering selection of excerpts on the subject of eating, drinking, cooking, and serving food that is guaranteed to whet every reader’s appetite.<br><br> Themed sections group together poetry and prose on grapes and bottles, the ideal cuisine, hangover cures, and vivid vignettes about dinner party behavior. There are stories about food fit for kings, a duchess’s “rumblings abdominal,” fine dining, eating abroad, cooking at home, and gastronomic excesses. A section on food and travel features Edmund Hillary’s meal at the summit of Everest, Ernest Shackleton’s dish of penguin in the Antarctic, and Joshua Slocum on the unfortunate effects of cheese and plums while sailing solo around the world. Also on the menu are limericks, short-tempered cooks, recipes, fantasy food, special feasts, iron rations, tips on opening oysters, and the uses and abuses of coffee.<br><br> Featuring writers as diverse as Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, Edward Lear, John Keats, Charles Dickens, Maria Edgeworth, and Marcel Proust, garnished with a generous helping of cartoons, this is a perfect gift for foodies, chefs, picnickers, and epicurean explorers.<br></div>Literature and Literary Criticism: General Criticism and Critical TheoryFood and GastronomyThu, 15 Jan 2015 06:00:00 GMTBodleian Library, The9781851244218Conspiracy of Ravenshttp://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/distributed/C/bo19176521.html
A charm of goldfinches. An ostentation of peacocks. A murder of crows. The English language brims with witty words for flocks of birds! Thought to have originated from hunting manuals, the practice of inventing collective nouns for birds has since evolved into a sport all its own, with new words striving to perfectly capture the essence of each bird. A Conspiracy of Ravens presents readers with a compendium of collective bird nouns from the distant and not-so-distant past. Some of the nouns are portentous, like a tiding of magpies. Others, like a murmuration of starlings or a chattering of choughs, convey sound. Still more reflect with literary flourish the beauty of the bird: what could be more celebratory than a crown of kingfishers or an exaltation of larks? Featuring songbirds, aquatic birds, garden favorites, and birds of prey, this book collects more than one hundred of the best and most imaginative expressions and illustrates them with charming woodcuts by the eighteenth-century artist and naturalist Thomas Bewick. A beautiful and entertaining read, A Conspiracy of Ravens will delight bird-lovers and word-lovers in equal measure.<div>A charm of goldfinches. An ostentation of peacocks. A murder of crows. The English language brims with witty words for flocks of birds! Thought to have originated from hunting manuals, the practice of inventing collective nouns for birds has since evolved into a sport all its own, with new words striving to perfectly capture the essence of each bird.<br> <br><i>A Conspiracy of Ravens</i> presents readers with a compendium of collective bird nouns from the distant and not-so-distant past. Some of the nouns are portentous, like a tiding of magpies. Others, like a murmuration of starlings or a chattering of choughs, convey sound. Still more reflect with literary flourish the beauty of the bird: what could be more celebratory than a crown of kingfishers or an exaltation of larks? Featuring songbirds, aquatic birds, garden favorites, and birds of prey, this book collects more than one hundred of the best and most imaginative expressions and illustrates them with charming woodcuts by the eighteenth-century artist and naturalist Thomas Bewick.<br> <br> A beautiful and entertaining read, <i>A Conspiracy of Ravens</i> will delight bird-lovers and word-lovers in equal measure.</div>Language and Linguistics: General Language and LinguisticsMon, 15 Dec 2014 06:00:00 GMTThomas Bewick; Bill Oddie; Samuel Fanous978185124409626 Postcards from the Collectionshttp://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/distributed/Other/bo18257262.html
The Bodleian Library is home to treasures from every corner of the globe that mark major milestones in cultural history. This book contains twenty-six pull-out postcards—one for each letter of the alphabet—each featuring a rare or beautiful manuscript from the library’s outstanding collections. From Shakespeare’s First Folio to the Gutenburg Bible, the Magna Carta, an early Jane Austen manuscript, and anatomical drawings by sixteenth-century physician Andreas Vesalius, the works showcased represent the maths, music, medicine, literature, and more. Whether you’re one of the more than one million visitors who enjoy a selection of treasures on display at the library each year or a history buff, bibliophile, or dedicated librarian, these beautiful postcards are perfect either to display or send to friends.<div>The Bodleian Library is home to treasures from every corner of the globe that mark major milestones in cultural history. This book contains twenty-six pull-out postcards—one for each letter of the alphabet—each featuring a rare or beautiful manuscript from the library’s outstanding collections. From Shakespeare’s <i>First Folio</i> to the Gutenburg Bible, the Magna Carta, an early Jane Austen manuscript, and anatomical drawings by sixteenth-century physician Andreas Vesalius, the works showcased represent the maths, music, medicine, literature, and more.<br><br> Whether you’re one of the more than one million visitors who enjoy a selection of treasures on display at the library each year or a history buff, bibliophile, or dedicated librarian, these beautiful postcards are perfect either to display or send to friends.</div>Culture StudiesMon, 15 Dec 2014 06:00:00 GMTBodleian Library, The9781851244041